Charles, Dead or Alive

(Charles, mort ou vif)

Alain Tanner
Switzerland, 1969

The most intelligent film inspired by the spirit of May ’68.

Lean-Louis Bory, Nouvel observateur

featuring

François Simon,
Marcel Robert,
Marie-Claire Dufour,

Tanner’s first feature put an almost nonexistent Swiss cinema on the international map. The story tells of Charles De, an aging conformist who suddenly drops deep out of life and emerges a madman, in other words, a man “mad” enough to accept the world only on his own uncompromising terms. Dodging detectives, he joins a miniature anarchist community in the countryside; by the time the authorities get their man, it no longer matters. Many directors can capture the significance of political thought; this nimble, witty, lucid film shows that Tanner is one of the few who can capture its joy.

FILM DETAILS

Screenwriter

Alain Tanner

Cinematographer

Renato Berta

Language

French

with English subtitles

Print Info

B&W

35mm

94 mins

Source

SWISS FILMS

CINEFILES

CineFiles is an online database of BAMPFA's extensive collection of documentation covering world cinema, past and present.